George h



CT. H. COLLEY.

(No Model.)

CORSET CLASP.

No. 314,434. Patented Mar. 24, 1885.

UNTTED STaTns PATENT @TriceO GEORGE H. COLLEY, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSGNOR TO CHARLES HIGBY, OF SAME PLACE.

CORSET-CLASP.

. SPECIFCATlON :forming part of Letters Patent No. 3].434f, March 24, 1885.

Application filed December 10. 1884.

4To @ZZ whom, L may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE H. CoLLnY, of Jackson, in the county of Jackson and Stute of Michigan, have invented new and useful 5 Improvements in Gorset-Clasps; `and l do hereby declare that the Afollowing is a full, ce ;r, and exact description thereof, reference being` had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in corsetclasps,whereby a shield is provided to cover the slotted plate usually employed in connection with a stud to cover the head of the engaging-stud and i 5 conceal the same.

The invention consists in the peculiar combinations and the construction and arrangement of partshereiuafter more fully described and claimed.

Figure l is a perspective view of a pair of corset-steels engaged with eachother by means of my improved clasps. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through one of the clasps, showing the engagement of the head of the stud with the slotted plate, such head being concealed and protected by the covering-plate. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing one method of forming the plate portion of the clasp by means of a press.

In the drawings, A and B represent two corset-steels of the usual construction, the steel B having secured to it, in the usual manner, the headed studs a. C is the other part of the clasp, consisting of two plates, b and c, the former having the usual slot, d, formed therein, such slot being enlarged at one end to allow the passage through the same of the head of the stud ct, the narrower part of the slot engaging on the under side of the head of 4o the stud and holding the parts together. The part c of the clasp is made of metal of the same external shape as the part b, and near its center is a recess, e, formed therein, of sufficient width and depth to inclose the head of the 4 5 -stud and conceal the same when the parts b c are laid one upon the other, with their edges coincident, thereby bringing the sunken recess c immediately over the slot d, and the parts riveted to the steel A and the stud en- (o model.)

gaged with the slot. The parts b c are struck 5o from a single piece of metal, as shown in Fig. 3, adapted to be folded orbent one back upon the other, so that the holes adapted to receive the rivets are coincident, when the process of riveting to the steel willcomplete this portion of the clasp without the necessity of soldering or riveting the two parts b c together. By this invention this trouble is avoided of abrasion of the fabric, as the recess serves the double purpose of protecting the clothing of the wearer from the head of the stud, and by the head of the stud coming in eontactfwith the inner surface ofthe recess the slotted plate ,is prevented from coming in contact with the fabric around the neck of the stud.

I am aware that a corset-clasp consisting of two separate independent parts,`the lower one having an L-shaped slot and the upper one formed of a spring metal and having a bentup portion to receive the head of a stud, has been proposed, and I am also aware that it has been proposed to make a glove-fastening, one half of which was formed or struck up from one piece of metal doubled upon itself, having an opening rin the upper half to receive a ball attached to the other half of the fastening, and hence make no claim to such constructions as forming part of my invention, but limit myself to the exact construction herein shown and described, which construction I deem essentially different from and an improvement on the constructions above referred to, which are objectionable for the following reasons:

Vhen made in two parts, as in the case first referred to, the free edges of the two parts, especially of the spring parts, are apt to catch in and tear the clothing, and the clothing will catch in between the two parts and thus become torn, besides, one or the other or both parts will work loose on their rivets and get out of place, much to the annoyance of the wearer. In the other case the top of the ball is unprotected, and is liable to rub against anything with which it comes in contact, besides, this never was intended to be nor could it be used as a corset-clasp without a recon- "struction of the steel, whereas mine can read i over the other, lie close to each other, leaving Yas such clasps always are, the tin covers and ily be applied to an ordinary corset-steel, and be used in connection with an ordinary steel l provided with a stud. My device remedies the above defects, and is also cheaper and simpler in construction, and more durable.

It will be observed that thev part c, being formed integral With the part b, materially strengthens the same at a point where the greatest strain comes, and eonsequentlyat the point most liable to break. rlhis construction allowsof a much lighterclasp being used, for the blank from which it is formed need not be more than half as thick as where the clasp is made in two pieces, in which case one part has no effect in strengthening the other. It will also be noticed that the coincident edges ofthe two parts b and c, when folded one no space between them in which the clothing may catch, nor any sharp edges to catch and tear the same, and when the parts are tinned,

unites the edges,thus soldering them together, as will be readily understood.

Vhat I claim as my invention is The combination, with a corset-steel provided With a stud, a, of the part C struck up or formed from one piece of metal, and consisting of the two united sections b c, the for` mer having formed therein the longitudinal slot d, having an enlargement at one end, and provided with holesfor the reception of rivets, and the part c having a sunken longitudinal recess, e, and also provided with holes for the reception of rivets, the part c being adapted to be folded over the part b, with the recess e immediately over the slot d, with the holes for receiving the rivets coincident, and the coincident edges ofthe parts b and c touching at all points, and the stud c engaging With 4o said slot, and the recess e covering and protecting the head of said stud, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

GEO. Hf coLLnY.

lWitnesses:

H. S. SPRAGUE, CHARLES J. HUNT.- 

